Little Moments
by Everythinginasockdrawer
Summary: Just like all of the little puzzle pieces come together to form a masterpiece, all of the little moments together formed into their relationship.


Little Moments: NejiTen

_**Some little snippets into the lives of Neji and Tenten. The underlined bold number is how old they are during the scene. So I hope you enjoy this fic. Please review, it lets me know how I'm doing. Just no flames please. **_

**14**

Neji considered himself to be rather smart… maybe not quite Nara smart but still he was a prodigy even within in the Hyuga Clan… and that was saying something. However there was one type of knowledge he could never study enough to really be any good at. Femalology: the study of girls… or women in his case. Well not women, woman because there was only one woman that had or ever could attract his attention.

He had determined by this point that regularly beating her up during their training sessions didn't help to express his feelings to her. It had taken several days with a ton of well thought out gifts while making frequent trips to the hospital to convince her of the fact he didn't completely hate her guts. That was two years ago when they were twelve, at the time she couldn't seem to understand that he was trying to make her stronger so he wouldn't have to worry about her all of the time. Then again he could see how that whole three weeks in ICU because he went a little hard on her one morning during training might make her question how he felt.

So he tried something else. He figured that if he couldn't make her stronger by training her relentlessly so that she could defend herself they'd have to make it a partner thing. So after a very long brutal talk with Guy-sensei the team was split into two pairs that could train to each other's weaknesses and cover them while using their own strengths and enhancing them. Well that was what the long winded and very well planned cover story was, really he just wanted to spend more time with her and give her a chance to get to know him better.

Well it sort of worked. Two years later they were best friends but she was still clueless as to how he felt about her. That was why he was laying on the couch staring at the ceiling in her living room cursing his stupid Hyuga demeanor. He glanced down at her and felt a smirk fighting to be seen on his face at the sight of her playing with her new little white kitten whose name was Erza. The little kitten pounced toward the feather Tenten was wiggling around on the floor and started batting at it with her tiny but sharp (he would know, Tenten had convinced him to give little Erza a bath when she first got her…) claws out as she went in for the kill.

He figured Tenten was like the kitten. She was so cute and little and he wanted to protect her with everything he could. But one wrong move and she could kill you with an assortment of over three hundred different weapons and she knew how to weld each perfectly (and by that he means that she knows numerous ways to kill you with each as well).

He observed how it was almost like she was welding the feather against the little ball of furry energy she was playing with. Neji felt the urge to laugh at the idea of her welding a feather as a weapon before remembering about the time she had tried out a prototype weapon for a weapons maker which just happened to be a giant metal feather. He shuttered at the memory, remembering how the little bits of it flew through the air and ripped the training dummy to shreds.

But at the moment she looked completely harmless, playing with the little kitten, laughing as it jumped in the air chasing after the feather. Little moments like this made it so he couldn't help himself from falling even more in love with her with every passing second of every passing day. He sighed softly, one day he would admit to her how he felt. But for now he would be content just being in her presence. Even if she was a bit scary at times.

**15**

The entire table went silent; a dozen pale lavender eyes widened with shock were trained on the young Hyuga prodigy. Neji felt a light blush dust his cheeks and he fought the urge to look at his lap to escape their gaze. So in order to avoid looking at their clearly stunned gazes he reached as calmly as he could for his cup of tea and took a long sip to try to help calm his nerves.

Tenten was the only one not looking at him in shock, as she was busy casting weary looks around the table at the Hyuga Elders who were openly gawking at the two of them. She moved a little closer to Neji to the point that their shoulders were touching. Neji decided it was best to just deal with the problem so they could go back to their meal.

"Is there something I can help you with Hiashi-sama?" Neji asked looking directly at his uncle with one of his well manicured eyebrows raised.

"…You laughed…" Yes, Hyuga Hiashi, head of the Hyuga Clan, one of the most feared and respected men in the world who was known across the Five Great Nations as a legendary fighter had been floored by the sound of his nephews' laughter.

"Yes Hiashi-sama, is there something wrong with that?" Neji asked, secretly he was enjoying toying with his uncle… not that he'd tell anyone though. Hiashi seemed to break out of the shocked state he was in.

"No Neji there isn't anything wrong with it… I just don't believe I've ever heard you laugh before." Hiashi admitted. Tenten gave the elder Hyuga an odd look.

"Really? You should try tickling him, he's ridiculously ticklish." As if to prove her point she reached over and lightly tickled Neji's stomach causing the boy to jump in his chair and fall onto the floor. Hiashi gladly took the offer at a conversation with the girl. So far she had barely spoken and the whole point of this dinner was for him to get to know his nephew's female teammate (and hopefully his nephew) better. But so far it had mostly just been them sitting there in awkward silence while Neji and Tenten quietly spoke to each other during the meal.

"I was unaware of that fact, how did you come across this knowledge might I ask?" Hiashi asked the young weapons mistress.

"Well about three months we'd been training and I was completely out of weapons and chakra to summon them with. So I figured I might catch him off guard if I came in for a close range attack so I ran at him and as a joke tickled him… and he fell to the ground in a heap of laughter." Neji got up and sat back down while giving her a glare that would scare most anyone to death. Tenten just gave him a 'really do you think that will still work on me' look and he turned back to his food sulking. One of the Elders sitting next to Hiashi leaned over towards the clan head.

"He seems to be rather whipped doesn't he? Reminds me of someone else at his age." The Elder whispered in his ear. Hiashi watched as the two teens at the table seemed to sink back into their own little world where she was poking at him trying to get him to respond while he just sat there trying not to react at all. Hiashi let a **very **small smirk come across his face.

"Yea it does doesn't it."

**16**

Neji found himself lying on Tenten's couch (which was becoming a common occurrence) with a little ball of white fur trying to pull his hair out. He groaned and tried to roll over to escape the tiny claws but found his efforts to be in vain.

"Tenten your cat won't let me sleep again!" Neji called to the apartments other occupant.

"It's just because she likes you, try cuddling with her or something, and give her some more attention. Quite ignoring her!" She called back.

Neji, realizing that was all the help he was going to get turned around to face his tormenter. The little kitten sniffed at his nose and started purring loudly next to his ear. He reached out and awkwardly petted the top of the kittens head. The purring got louder and she started to lick his nose with her wet, sandpapery tongue. Neji scrunched up his nose and tried to move his head out of the way so she wouldn't lick him but where ever he went her little tongue followed. Just when he was about to give up hope of getting any sleep light footsteps echoed down the little hall leading to Tenten's room. Tenten appeared in front of him dressed in her panda print PJ's with a soft smile on her face.

"See it's not that bad. She's just giving you lots of little kitty kisses." Tenten said while happily watching her kitten force her will on the young Hyuga.

"Forgive me for not feeling the urge to have 'kitty kisses' at one o'clock in the morning." He told her with a yawn. She smiled and pulled the kitten off of him and somehow had the little devil fall asleep within seconds.

"You know you could try to be a little nicer to her." Tenten told him as she put the tiny ball of fur in her little kitty bed. Neji sat up to make room for Tenten to sit down knowing that she'd want to talk for a little bit before going back to sleep.

"I am nice to her Tenten, just not when she's keeping me from getting a good night's sleep." Neji informed her as she was finishing tucking in the kitten before coming to sit down next to him. She cuddled into his side and yawned, tucking her feet under herself and pulled his blanket up around her shoulders. Neji knew at that point that she wasn't leaving for awhile.

"So do I but you don't get mad at me when I keep you up late." She pointed out.

"That's because you're a person who normally has something you need to talk about… it's just different." Neji told her.

"How is it any different? She needs love and affection from you…" The rest of her sentence was mumbled so much he couldn't understand her but he chose not to comment on that. Suddenly the pieces of the puzzle he had been working on for the last five years all fell into place. Neji pulled on every last ounce of will power and courage he had and decided to put the last piece in its place.

"This is why." And suddenly his lips were on her's, though gentle and uncertain in the new uncharted territory presented to them in the form of their first kiss. Neji held his breath and his body was completely frozen as he waited for her to react to the sudden invasion of her personal space. Then she moved, one hand reaching up and gently pulling him closer to her. Neji felt like a dam inside of himself collapsed and all of the feelings he had been hiding from her flooded his body and he felt the desire to express them.

And then the kitten woke up and feeling neglected decided that it was Neji's fault that she was no longer being cuddled and so she let out all of the tiny little wrath she had pent up in her and attacked Neji full on. Later he would swear up and down that the kitten was the most challenging opponent he had ever faced.

**17**

Word had spread quickly about their relationship and Tenten found herself having to deal with a new unnerving enemy that no amount of training could prepare her for: Fan Girls. The worst part (in her opinion at least) was the fact that none of them even really knew him and they hated her for being with him anyway… well they hated her before because she spent so much time with him but them officially being together brought down a rain a terror unlike anything she had seen before. It had gotten to the point where the Hyuga Council had intervened on her behalf. Yes the **Council… **it had gotten that bad.

That's why all of her belongings were packed up in large cardboard boxes and being moved across town. She was moving into the Hyuga compound.

She watched as one of Neji's distant cousins took the last of her boxes out of the room, leaving her with nothing left to take except for the cat carrier at her feet. So she picked Ezra up and walked out after the random Hyuga. Not bothering to glance back at her home of eleven years.

They made it to her new home in less than ten minutes and the young Hyuga walked off, leaving Tenten with several boxes to unpack. Thankfully they had already moved all of her furniture in so she just had to put all of her stuff away. It took her about thirty minutes to put everything away since most of what she owned were just summoning scrolls full of weapons. She had just started to play with Erza when someone walked into the room unannounced. She glanced up quickly before turning back to her kitten.

"Morning Neji." She threw his way as the said man walked over to where she was and sat down next to her.

"Good morning Tenten, I apologize for not being here sooner but I was in a meeting with the Elders. It seems they may be grooming me to be an Elder myself, which would be helpful when Hinata-sama becomes Clan Head, she'll need support for many of the changes she will wish to make." Neji told her. She leaned over and kissed his cheek.

"Its fine, some of your family helped me." She smiled up at him and he gave her one of his half smiles that most people thought were creepy.

"Did you run into any of them on your way over?" He asked her while pulling her closer to him so she was leaning against him while still playing with the kitten.

"Yea but they didn't try anything. Apparently any Hyuga that isn't you or Hinata is scary." Neji looked at her like she was insane.

"I'm scary." He told her, pouting as he did.

"Sorry mister but you are really just a giant, over stuffed teddy bear that tried to put on really tight armor complete with a stick shoved up your ass." She turned slightly and poked his nose. "So I came along and tore the armor off and removed the stick so all we have left is a giant teddy bear."

"Thank you for that flattering analogy, it really makes me feel better about myself." He said sarcastically.

"Anytime Neji-kun." She gave his a quick kiss before jumping to her feet. "So why don't you give me the tour?"

**18**

If he didn't know better he'd think the question hadn't fazed her at all. But he did know her, and he was very aware how sensitive a subject it was for her. So he just took her hand and pulled her away, shooting something about a meeting over his shoulder at the group of girls glaring daggers in his girlfriends back. He knew that she needed to talk about it so he steered them back to her room in the Hyuga Compound and pulled her into his arms on the couch.

"Why is it that people always focus on that? So I don't have a last name why is it such a big deal?" She asked him sadly.

"They have to focus on that because they can't find any faults within you." Neji told her earning him a small smile from the woman in his arms. "Anyway, it's not like they can use that one forever." She gave him a questioning look so he elaborated. "I have every intention of giving you my family name. It's not a matter of if, just a matter of when and where." She felt herself start tearing up.

"It sounds kind of like you're trying to propose." She commented while trying to keep her voice from shaking.

"Maybe I am." He replied while turning her so she would be facing him. "Tenten would you be my wife?"

**20**

"Ummm… Neji we need to talk."

"Yes what is it Tenten."

"I'm pregnant."

There was a thud as Neji passed out and fell to the ground.

**34 **

"Dad, can I talk to you for a minute?" a young but clearly male voice asked from outside Neji's office.

"Sure, come on in." Neji told him while he finished sorting through some old clan records Hinata had asked his to look through. Neji looked up as his thirteen year old son came into the room. He looked just like Neji did at his age, the only real difference between the two was that Hyuga Arashi was a weapons master just like his mom… well except his mom didn't have a Byakugan to help improve her aim… not that she needed it. Her accuracy was 99.99% even without one. "So what can I help you with?" Neji asked his son.

"Well… it's kind of embarrassing… I like this girl and I'm not quite sure how… or…" He was cut off by his dad laughing slightly.

"It runs in the family." Neji told the young Hyuga boy.

"What do you mean?" Arashi asked.

"I went through the same thing with your mother. I had liked her for four years before I made a move. I can't really tell you when the right time to make your move is but I can tell you what not to do…" Arashi spent the rest of the day with his dad laughing at his stories about how he tried to show his mom that he had feelings for her. Some of that stuff even he knew not to do, like really who tries to show a girl that he likes her by forcing her into a pit of poisonous snakes?

At about nine o'clock in the evening there was a quite knock on the door and Tenten came in the room looking for her husband and son. She smiled when she saw them sitting there talking to each other like normal people. Neji was always so busy she worried that he didn't get to spend enough time with his son. At least with Unata he spent time training her to use her Gentle Fist Style.

"Come on, Arashi it's time for you to go to bed. Your graduation exams for the academy are tomorrow and you don't want to take them while you're exhausted now do you?" Tenten asked him. Arashi shook his head really quickly before darting off really quickly toward their house. Tenten turned toward her husband.

"And you mister need to get home really quickly here too." She told him.

"And why is that?" He asked.

"Because your wife said so… you've been slacking off on your husbandly duties."

"Is that so?"

"Yes, I've had to tuck Unata into bed for the last week; she's starting to wonder if her daddy didn't disappear on her." Neji sighed.

"Okay you win, now come here I have something for you." Tenten walked over to her husband but stood just far enough away he couldn't reach her. "Please." He added while opening his arms as if for a hug. She finally relented and slipped into his lap where he gave her a firm kiss on the lips.

"I love you Tenten." He whispered and her ear.

"And I love you." She replied before sealing his lips in another kiss.

_**Again I hope you enjoyed the fic and PLEASE review. It means a lot to me. I hope you all have a great day! Oh and just a FYI: Tenten's kitten Erza is my kitten in real life that has been attacking my feet the whole time I was writing this. :P**_


End file.
